Michigan State vs Duke: 2020-21 college basketball game preview, TV schedule
By Joey Loose
Michigan State and Duke kick off the Champions Classic with a stellar matchup; which of these Blue Bloods will get a big win at the start of the year?
TV schedule: Tuesday, December 1, 7:30 pm ET. ESPN
Arena: Cameron Indoor Stadium in Durham, North Carolina
Michigan State (2-0) returns a roster that will contend in a difficult Big Ten, but that must look at the future without Cassius Winston. One of the program’s best players of all time, Winston made his mark with the Spartans, though the rest of this roster looks set to pick up the slack.
Xavier Tillman is also gone, but Joey Hauser is eligible, and his 10 points and 16 rebounds on Saturday were part of a solid effort to beat Notre Dame. The Spartans have gotten solid efforts from Foster Loyer (20 points against EMU), and are looking for big seasons from Joshua Langford and Aaron Henry, among others.
Michigan State sits at 13th to this point in both KenPom and the Top 25 and it seems about right for this squad. The offense has been great to this point and already ranks in the top 10 in offensive efficiency. The defense was on full display during a 26-0 scoring run against the Fighting Irish, but there’s still work to be done for the Spartans.
On the other side, Duke (1-0) got their season started with a win on Saturday against Coppin State, though the 10-point margin was a bit tighter than most people expected. The yearly hype exists for this Blue Devils squad, though they certainly have a few new pieces they are fitting in the lineup.
They played okay in their debut, but this Blue Devils squad misses Tre Jones, Vernon Carey, and Cassius Stanley, but there’s still a lot of talent in Durham. Freshman scoring threat DJ Stewart led the team with 24 points off the bench in Saturday’s win. Highly touted freshman forward Jalen Johnson had 19 points and 19 rebounds and looks to be a force, adding 4 blocks as well.
Duke sits 2nd in KenPom’s early rankings, though their Top 25 ranking certainly doesn’t reflect that same confidence. Duke’s young studs played well against Coppin State, but a talented and ranked Big Ten squad will force them into a significantly tougher challenge. Still, this is a very talented roster that is still learning to play with each other; expect big things from the Blue Devils as the season progresses.
These are two very talented teams that are still feeling their lineups out, as are most programs after a pandemic-altered offseason. That being said, this is still a major test for both teams, especially on the defensive end. Does Michigan State have an answer for Jalen Johnson or was his performance against Coppin State just a fluke? Do the Spartans know their identity on offense without Winston and can they win a tough road game even if they don’t make half of their 3’s?
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I think it’s tough to expect either of these teams to be firing on all cylinders this early in the season. It’s also very hard to expect Michigan State to win at Duke, though this is clearly a very different season with limited or no crowd at games. The talent is there on both teams, but I think the Blue Devils have their offense figured out a little bit better than the Spartans, and can secure another close win against Michigan State.